AnotherReefHobbyist
Well-Known Member
Hello all! I am new to the forums, and am coming here in hopes of receiving a little help for my small and improperly set up 20 gallon tall ( hopefully sometime a reef ) tank. I set it up on a very tight budget, using mostly materials from my various freshwater tanks, I was going to set it up in my largest empty tank ( 60 gallons ) but the reason it is empty is because the dimensions are trash, and while it looks cool it is impossible to maintain, and even was as a simple freshwater low tech planted.
I started out it the worst way possible, using a high quality freshwater light, ( fluval fresh and plant ) and adjusting it for saltwater, but I still don't like what it puts out, a in tank hob filter, and a heater rated for 60-100 gallon aquariums. Then I put in sand water live rock, dry rock, and a fish all in one day, cause my lfs said, oh you need a fish to kick start the cycle. petco is more knowledgeable than my lfs ( they did just do a reno though, and they re staffed with some decent people
. so here I am with 4.0 ammonia and a freakin fish. It actually didn't die, and Is the only fish I like that I have in my tank.
Not much has changed equipment wise, I now have no idea what my ammonia is because of aqueous trash master test kit, the ammonia readings are like, bright yellow is all clear and a slightly darker yellow is toxic, it is somewhere between zero and 1.0, that's all I know. but everything is living so I guess that says something.
I also added a zoa, and a pulsing xenia, they died within the first days, but that was at the one month mark, we are now at the four month mark, I am still too scared to add corals after that.
and I now have a little bit of nice marco in the tank, a snail three hermits, my first fish ( a black and orange clownfish ) and 2 pajama cardinals. I wish I hadn't bought the pagans, they aren't colorful, and constantly hide, so I will be looking to get rid of them with my *soon* tank upgrade.
oh, and did I mention I use tap water, nope no cool faces, only diatoms, something I hope to also change in my tank/system upgrade.
as far as the ugrade goes there is a nice 60 gallon with a sump and stand for sale at a good price in my area, It is a good quality system so if the seller come through I will hopefully have that in my hands,I cant afford a new system, but I also cant afford ugly black rims, so this is what I am settling for
The upgrade will have everything done properly,, but that being said it could be a while.
NOT RAGE TYPING STARTS HERE:
none of you probably read this far as I am just rage typing now, but the help I needed was mainly as far as keeping this tank happy while I work on system upgrades, my main concern is feeding right now, as the only fish I have ever seen eat is my clownfish, I have literally never seen the pajamas eat, although they have been with me for a good month now. I feed saltwater flakes, and don't know what I should be feeding, I can't afford to go the brine shrimp route, neither money nor time wise, so what should I go to?
also dosing, I just do plain salt and prime in my water during water changes, and don't do any dosing, so what should I be doing, and how should I try to start reintroducing corals if that is even possible?
here is the tank as of this morning: ( water change done yesterday, like 30 or 40 percent )
I started out it the worst way possible, using a high quality freshwater light, ( fluval fresh and plant ) and adjusting it for saltwater, but I still don't like what it puts out, a in tank hob filter, and a heater rated for 60-100 gallon aquariums. Then I put in sand water live rock, dry rock, and a fish all in one day, cause my lfs said, oh you need a fish to kick start the cycle. petco is more knowledgeable than my lfs ( they did just do a reno though, and they re staffed with some decent people
. so here I am with 4.0 ammonia and a freakin fish. It actually didn't die, and Is the only fish I like that I have in my tank.Not much has changed equipment wise, I now have no idea what my ammonia is because of aqueous trash master test kit, the ammonia readings are like, bright yellow is all clear and a slightly darker yellow is toxic, it is somewhere between zero and 1.0, that's all I know. but everything is living so I guess that says something.
I also added a zoa, and a pulsing xenia, they died within the first days, but that was at the one month mark, we are now at the four month mark, I am still too scared to add corals after that.
and I now have a little bit of nice marco in the tank, a snail three hermits, my first fish ( a black and orange clownfish ) and 2 pajama cardinals. I wish I hadn't bought the pagans, they aren't colorful, and constantly hide, so I will be looking to get rid of them with my *soon* tank upgrade.
oh, and did I mention I use tap water
, nope no cool faces, only diatoms, something I hope to also change in my tank/system upgrade.as far as the ugrade goes there is a nice 60 gallon with a sump and stand for sale at a good price in my area, It is a good quality system so if the seller come through I will hopefully have that in my hands,I cant afford a new system, but I also cant afford ugly black rims, so this is what I am settling for
The upgrade will have everything done properly,, but that being said it could be a while.
NOT RAGE TYPING STARTS HERE:
none of you probably read this far as I am just rage typing now, but the help I needed was mainly as far as keeping this tank happy while I work on system upgrades, my main concern is feeding right now, as the only fish I have ever seen eat is my clownfish, I have literally never seen the pajamas eat, although they have been with me for a good month now. I feed saltwater flakes, and don't know what I should be feeding, I can't afford to go the brine shrimp route, neither money nor time wise, so what should I go to?
also dosing, I just do plain salt and prime in my water during water changes, and don't do any dosing, so what should I be doing, and how should I try to start reintroducing corals if that is even possible?
here is the tank as of this morning: ( water change done yesterday, like 30 or 40 percent )
